This post is sponsored by ALDI, all opinions are 100% my own.
Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash, caramelized onions, mixed with salty crispy bacon, pecans, and a creamy Goat Cheese Pasta, yeah its as good as it sounds!
This weekend we had my brother and his wife over for an early Thanksgiving Dinner. Cason had been looking forward to it all week because he really wanted to “play dump trunks” with his Uncle. So much so that he decided to skip his nap that day because he was so excited.
I was looking forward to having them over because we hadn’t seen them in a while AND it gave me another chance to go to ALDI’s and test out some of their holiday products.
Let me tell you, if your looking to plan a fun holiday party then ALDI is the place to go. Great quality products for cheap!
I was able to make my Green Beans with crispy pancetta {except I subbed in bacon on this one hehe}, my brussels sprouts, a Citrus Garlic Herb Butterball Turkey that turned out super moist and juicy, and my mom’s famous sweet potato casserole.
I also bought a couple of pairing wines for dinner as well, the Zum Reisling {one of my favorites}, Burlwood Pinor Noir, a Chianti Red Wine and of course a sparkling apple cider for little man.
The food was delicious, the wine was perfect, and the company was the cherry on top. Good food and family always equals a great time!
Something else that equals a great time in my book is goat cheese.
I am kinda sorta maybe totally obsessed with the stuff. I’m from Wisconsin, the cheese capital of the world, and goat cheese is definitely in my top 3 favorite cheeses to use and eat!
Why?
Because it is creamy, somewhat pungent, and can be used in almost anything. {including cheesecake… in fact my sweet friend Allie from Baking a Moment made this amazing Blackberry Goat Cheese Cheesecake}
Todays recipe is more savory than sweet but it does have one of my favorite fall vegetables in it.. Butternut Squash and thats kinda sweet! I was just thinking I haven’t made any recipes this fall with Butternut Squash in it.. which is completely absurd to me.
So I figured it was time, enter this Butternut Squash Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta.
Guys… I first found this recipe when I was watching Giada De Laurentiis on the FoodNetwork, who I am completely in love with. I’m pretty sure she is a culinary genius. If we ever go back to Vegas I am so going to her new restaurant, Giada.
Anywho, as I was watching her show and she made this Butternut Squash Pasta, it had roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions and goat cheese in it. That was all I needed to hear… I was out the door getting the goods to make it that night.
Since my first time making this I have changed up the recipe a bit to fit our liking. I add more goat cheese to mine because who doesn’t need more cheese plus the pasta tends to dry out fast so adding more cheese makes it moist longer. 🙂
I added bacon … oh yeah baby! Some pecans for crunch and then dry sage .. because sage is like the ultimate fall spice!
Absolutely delicious! This is hands down my favorite fall comfort food, just add in a bottle of Pinor Noir and it will bring you to your happy place. At least it does me .. now all I need are some corny Hallmark Christmas Movies and it would be the best night ever!
Roasted Butternut Squash Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A comforting pasta dish full of sweet roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, salty crispy bacon, crunchy pecans, and a creamy goat cheese pasta.
Ingredients
- 3–4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4” cubes
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup of Diamond Nut pecan pieces
- 1 lb of mezzi rigatoni {or penne pasta}
- 10 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon of dry sage
- 5 strips of bacon, diced and cooked to crispy
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Spread out butternut squash and red onion on a baking sheet. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper. Toss to coat and spread out on baking sheet so it is in a single layer.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- In the meantime, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. {about 4-5 minutes}
- Remove bacon from the pan and place on a plate lining with paper towel to soak up some of the grease.
- Bring a large pot of water to boiling, add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente {follow directions on the back of the box, usually 8-10 minutes}
- Once pasta is done, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the rest of the water.
- Add butternut squash, onions, pecans, bacon, goat cheese, cooking water, and sage to pasta pot. Toss to coat everything, season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Bon Appetite!
Notes
Recipe inspired by Giada de Laurentiis
Filed Under:
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